Water craft using piezoelectric materials
First Claim
1. A generator for generating electrical energy in response to being disposed within a moving fluid, the generator comprising a flexible, electroded sheet of piezoelectric material, said sheet having oppositely disposed major surfaces, and spaced apart protrusions on one of said surfaces for inducing turbulence in the fluid passing said one surface.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A flexible layer of piezoelectric material, e.g., a known PVDF polymer, is used for generating electrical energy for use on a water craft. In one arrangement, the sheet is laminated within a craft hull of fiberglass. Electrodes are provided for the major opposite surfaces of the layer, and an encapsulating material, e.g., fiberglass or a layer of the polymer itself, comprises the water contacting, exterior surface of the hull. In salt water, the water is one electrode, and an outer encapsulating layer is omitted. Spaced apart air pockets are optionally provided along the polymer sheet for increasing the flexing thereof in response to passing water and for inducing turbulence in the passing water. Elongated, flexible and electroded sheets, optionally including air pockets, are towed behind or beneath the craft, or are flown from a mast on the craft.
62 Citations
9 Claims
- 1. A generator for generating electrical energy in response to being disposed within a moving fluid, the generator comprising a flexible, electroded sheet of piezoelectric material, said sheet having oppositely disposed major surfaces, and spaced apart protrusions on one of said surfaces for inducing turbulence in the fluid passing said one surface.
- 3. A system for generating electrical energy on a water craft having a hull portion submerged during use of the craft in a body of water, a piezoelectric generator mounted on said hull portion for generating electrical energy in response to movement of said craft through the water, said generator comprising a layer of a piezoelectric material mounted on said hull portion, electrodes on oppositely disposed surfaces of said layer, and said layer including spaced apart protrusions for interacting with water moving past said layer for inducing vibrations of said layer and the generation of electrical energy thereby.
Specification